DAVIDSON — None of the Post sports staff had any clue that former South Rowan football player Darryl Childers was a brainiac.

Talented All-Rowan County linebacker? Sure. Heck of a blocker as a fullback? No doubt. Polite, humble kid? Not a question.

But a master of math and vocabulary who could crack 1300 on the SAT and win an academic scholarship to Davidson College, the top academic institution around?

Who knew?

Not us.

Trying to pry quotes out of Darryl was harder than digging a tunnel to China. A lengthy postgame speech for Darryl, who graduated from South last spring, was: “I’m glad we won.”

But underneath Childers’ scratched-up red helmet lurked some serious brain power. All sorts of four-syllable SAT words were lying hidden in that mighty mind, just waiting to be used on people more intelligent than sportswriters. And obviously, that’s the great majority of the population. I mean, Darryl was a senior at South before we figured out how to spell his first name.

“Darryl is very, very quiet,” chuckles his dad, Christopher, who has obviously gotten used to his kid surprising people. “But he’s always been a good student. And he’s always tested well.”

The really neat thing about Darryl is that the brains that got him into Davidson are also giving him a chance to prolong his football career.

Childers is one of those in-between kids who wouldn’t be fast enough or huge enough for big-time college football, but he’s one heck of an athlete, he’s a winner and he’s strong and hard-nosed. Those attributes make him a perfect fit for coach Joe Susan and his studious, but sturdy, Wildcats, and their small-school schedule.

The Cats scouted Childers last season, showing more interest in the 5-foot-10, 190-pounder than anyone else had and talked him into visiting their campus. The coaches talked up Davidson academics, which his parents liked, and talked up Davidson football, which Darryl liked.

“In the end, academics are what’s going to really count for Darryl,” said Christopher. “But he also enjoys playing football. He wanted to go to college somewhere where he could keep playing and Davidson seemed like the right place. It’s close to home, the campus is lovely and their football team was 8-3 each of the last two years, I do believe.

“We were happy with Darryl’s decision. He’s going to school with people who are serious students as well as football players. The kids there are like he is.”

Smart guys or not, the Wildcat football program has indeed turned the corner, and Childers has quickly become a big part of things. A linebacker, he’s already playing in the Cats’ nickel package. He’s had a fumble recovery and received the jersey for the big hit of the week after Davidson’s win over Morehead State.

“Oh, he was proud of that,” says his dad, whose younger son, Ricky, is a junior cornerback and quarterback for this year’s South team.

Last Saturday, Davidson traveled west to take on San Diego University’s Toreros. Darryl cracked a few heads as well as books on that trip, making four tackles. Davidson won its 12th straight game — 27-13 — tying it with Robert Morris and Nebraska for the longest streak in the nation.

“Davidson’s not quite the same as Nebraska,” admits Christopher, who didn’t travel to California, but has seen all of Darryl’s games that were in driving distance. “They’re playing people like Emory & Henry, you know — not Oklahoma.”

This Saturday, the Cats take on Randolph-Macon. Next, they travel to Hampden-Sydney College, which has, oh, just a slightly lower profile than the Sydney Olympics.

But, hey, football’s football.

The person least surprised with Childers’ success may be South coach Rick Vanhoy, who can’t say enough good things about him.

“Darryl never took a day off for four years in our program,” he said. “Shoot, he didn’t take a down off. Give me 22 Darryls and I’ll go undefeated and win the state championship every year. He’s got a work ethic, and that’s why he’s playing as a freshman. That’s a great kid, and he’d be a great kid if he’d never played a down of football.”

Good player? Sure. Great person? No doubt. Smart kid? Not a question.

Just, please, please, please, don’t ask Darryl to make a speech when he graduates.

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Mike London covers college football for the Post.